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Cochrane Archive: Literary Links

Stood on the Shoulders of Giants: A Medical Odyssey by Michael R. Lee

In this memoir of a distinguished career, Michael Lee describes the 'medical giants' who guided and inspired his work. In 1960 he arrived at the MRC Pneumoconiosis Unit at Llandough Hospital, Cardiff for a brief spell as a Senior House Officer.

He soon met Archie Cochrane and was impressed by his belief in "shining the light of reason into many of the dark crevices of medical knowledge". He also enjoyed Archie Cochrane’s hospitality, tales of his experiences in Spain, and his "self-deprecating ironic humour".

Michael Lee’s career culminated with the Chair of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Edinburgh. He kept in touch with Archie Cochrane over the years and always valued his friendship with this 'medical giant'.

In 1969, Archie’s "Effectiveness and Efficiency" was cited in a paper by Prof. Michael D. Warren, entitled "Evaluation as a Tool in Health Planning and Management" (Chapter 49) in the 3rd edition of "Theory and Practice of Public Health", published by Oxford University Press (5th edition reprinted in 1997, ISBN 0-19-264227-8).

Archie Cochrane was the first President of the Faculty of Community Medicine (now Faculty of Public Health) from 1972 to 1975.

In 1997, Prof. Michael D. Warren also wrote an account of the formative years of the Faculty, which was published* under the title of "The Genesis of the Faculty of Community Medicine" by the Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent (ISBN 0-904938-948).

(*Later re-published by the Faculty in 2000, under the title "The Origins of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine".)